"He came home in the evenings, he was only in the house five minutes and he was away with the other boys... working at cars or doing a bit of farming or fishing, always on the go, always enjoying life, always with his cheeky smile.

"There wasn't a bad bone in him. Great son, just a great, great son. We all loved him."

Mr Farrell was due to celebrate his 18th birthday next month and it is understood the lads had been planning a night out to mark the day just hours before he died.

The vehicle hit the wall of a bungalow - understood to be the home of one of the victims’ grandparents - causing a nearby oil tank to catch fire.

A PSNI investigation into the crash is under way.

Inspector Stephen Humphries said: “We are working to establish the circumstances of the collision and I am appealing for witnesses to come forward.

“I would also like to hear from anyone who was travelling on the Kilbroney Road prior to the time of the collision and who may have seen a silver Volkswagen Bora on the road. The number to call is 101.”